As you packed away the holiday decorations, did you notice you'd also packed on a few extra pounds? Party buffets, big family meals and seasonal treats add up fast.

If your family's new year's resolution is getting back to healthy eating, two recent news items have encouraging news. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association reported on an Italian study that found the families of 149 people in a six-month weight-loss program also dropped pounds. On average, family members of group participants lost about 2.2 pounds; obese family members had an average weight loss of almost 6 pounds. Researchers theorize that family members' involvement in their loved one's therapy made them more aware of their own eating habits.

Make small changes, such as switching from whole milk to 2 percent. Many small changes can make a big difference over time.

Do whatever it takes to slow down your eating and pay attention to your food. It almost goes without saying, but turn off the TV and eat at the table with the family. Eating with chopsticks or your nondominant hand slows down the dinnertime shoveling and makes the meal fun for kids.

Remember that the foods in your house are the foods available to your kids, especially if they're grade-school or younger. "Parents really do have a choice in what's coming into the house," Evans says. If you don't buy the Oreos, your kids can't eat the Oreos.

Help educate your kids on nutrition. "Incorporate meal-planning, label-reading and looking at media messages" into the family discussion, Evans advises. For instance, talk about what you see on TV. "One commercial is for Jenny Craig and the next is two Big Macs for a dollar," she says; what does that say about our society's values? Or pull up a website showing the nutritional facts for fast foods and talk about it with your kids.

What if your kids are older and can leave their high-school campus for lunch at fast food places? Don't underestimate the power of information. Teens just becoming aware of wider societal issues may enjoy watching "Super Size Me," filmmaker Morgan Spurlock's experiment with eating only McDonald's food for a month.

"Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink gives fascinating information on why we eat more than we think, with interesting studies involving giant movie popcorn tubs and "bottomless" bowls of soup.

Don't forget to make things fun. Food and sustainability expert Michael Pollan's book "Food Rules" gives common-sense concepts but makes them fun. A couple examples: Don't eat cereal that makes your milk change color. Don't eat food that comes through the window of your car. A new edition with fun illustrations by Maira Kalman makes the information accessible even for young kids.

Whimsical illustrations make Michael Pollan's "Food Rules" fun even for young kids.

Parents will find plenty of advice from Ellyn Satter's books, such as "How to Get Your Kid to Eat ... But Not Too Much" and "Your Child's Weight: Helping Without Harming." Or check out her website, ellynsatter.com.Don't forget the second half of the health equation, being active. Evans suggests limiting screen time -- and also making that limited screen time also active time by playing Wii or xBox Kinnect physical games. Beyond tips on nutrition and exercise, Evans suggests examining your personal views on health. Watch out for what Evans calls "negative talk" about your weight. Instead, focus on positive messages, such as, "I feel really good after my walk, my legs feel strong."

Similarly, watch out for negative talk or labeling your kids, such as saying, "She doesn't eat vegetables." Evans says, "If they keep hearing that label, that label becomes them." Instead, teach the concept of "one polite bite": try a bite of everything, but if you hate it you don't have to finish it. Lots of kids who didn't like vegetables start eating them later in life. Lay the groundwork for that by exposing them to many types of vegetables and fruit, and by teaching them "this is what a meal looks like," Evans says.

And finally, Evans says, focus on positive messages of good nutrition and health, "not just that number on the scale. It doesn't tell you how nice your smile is or how many people love you."